Cabinets for supporting rack-mounted equipment are well-known. Generally, the cabinets comprise an enclosure containing a rack that has a plurality of spaced rails at each side upon which the equipment can be supported in a vertical stack. The front of the cabinet is generally closed by at least one door.
Heat build-up within the cabinet from the computer and data storage equipment is a long standing problem, for the heat can cause failure of the computer and data storage equipment housed within the cabinet. Additionally, there can result a thermal rise or thermal gradient on the order of 15° F. to 18° F. between the bottom and the top of the cabinet. Computers and data storage equipment in the upper portion of the cabinets are more susceptible to damage, since heat rises, however, when a large amount of heat is present within the cabinet, computer and data storage in the lower portion of the cabinet can fail as well.
Arrangements for addressing the problem have included providing a fan in the cabinet for drawing air from beneath the floor, passing it over the computer and data storage equipment and discharging the air into the room. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,404 to Beall et al. Cabinets have been provided with fans to draw in room air and pass same in a generally upright path of travel to cool upright computer components. The air can be discharged to the ambient through a vent in the top wall of the cabinet. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,801,428 to Smith et al.
There exists a need for a low cost air distribution arrangement for rack-mounted equipment in a cabinet that provides cool ambient air to a surface of the computer and data storage equipment for effectively cooling same.